Thanks in great part to this forum (the expertise of old salts and the questions posed by newbies to Hobies like ourselves asking so many questions related to what we needed to know, and the forum mods wisdom) we decided to take a plunge into the Hobie 16 world. I sailed/crewed a bit on single hauls so this will be a learning curve.

My son (high-schooler and the prime driver behind this scheme for a Hobie – he is paying for a the base boat with $ he earns from his job) and I got our first Hobie this weekend after a lot of research (a good friend is a longtime Hobie racer offered buying tips and what to look for) we found a very “right –priced” boat with some good extras thrown in.

We got a great price on a solid hulled 1985 down in Hilton Head in “almost” ready to sail condition (detailed list of to-do items in another post but suggestions welcomed). As you can see she has a ancient canvas tramp which is set to be replaced with mesh but had to clean it anyway for now anyway - that's just me.

She has good bones but working on “project clean up” while some parts come in. Not pictured are various side items like rudder recoating for the EPO 864s covered here in the forum (like I said – thanks posters for your expert DIY knowledge you share).

The black anodized parts I used Rupp Aluma Guard (from local West Marine) to restore as you can see in the pix below. I’ll keep an eye on how long the finish lasts in weather over time but the stuff seems to work pretty well so far short term. I tried Penetrol also as suggested in the forums and it worked pretty well but so far short term - it left a lot of decay showing compared to Rupp and didn’t have the umph that the Rupp product did. Let’s see how Rupp does in weather over time. I know how Armor-All looks good but can fade quickly so will report back

Also working on gelcoat, which is very oxidized – some hand rubbing this season … not shown - and more detailed attention later.

Oh – the sails are Tidal Wave as ID’d on our '85 boat in that cool sail history guide pdf we referred to often while shopping around and they are stiff and in great shape for her age. We were shooting for white hulls on our wish list but Coleman bestowed on us some off-white hulls.

So here are some before and after pics of the clean up.

mast (after/before)

frame (before/after)

canvas tram (bye soon) (before/after) scrubbing

sail (Tidal wave sail)

Cheers,Jonathan & Preston

_________________Jonathan'85 H16 __/) 87468 Tidal Wave

Last edited by jonh on Wed May 02, 2012 7:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Where do you plan to sail? I am in Winston and sail at Jordan Lake. I sometimes go up to Kerr (Buggs Island) Lake which is great but quite a ride from here. I have an '85 that I bought new. My hulls are identical to yours. You will enjoy it.

Hi Steve - thanks! We want to order new plug kits (must do) and rebuild the rudder cam assembly (ran into issue removing Delrin screw so reading up on that in the forums). Will keep you posted.

Howard - thanks for the tips. We are in south Charlotte near the SC border. Lake Wyle is the closest followed by Lake Norman but heard good things about Jordan. Cool, an 85 with the same hull that close by - the friend that I mentioned above was amazed when I sent the pix today as he had my same sail pattern on his '85 H14 with the same hull color. He said he special ordered it in Texas and the color was billed as "Champagne" he thought. Does that ring a bell since you bought new also?

There's a "3 Day History" page link there too. I haven't found any other recommended wind forecast websites all that accurate, despite promises. Always wind forecasts are approximate. At Jordan, if the wind forecast is 5-10 mph, the wind usually starts around mid morning and continues to late afternoon, then dies. And, brother, when it's a dead wind day, it can be d.e.a.d. calm.

With a boat that age, I would keep an eye on the shrouds and forestay. Nice that Hobie so readily offers .pfd of parts and assembly. Most people I have talked to order parts from the dealer at Myrtle Beach although I use Brad at Sunjammers or Jeremy at Surf City. I don't find ordering from those who are not dealers all that superior in the long run.

JJ - Good to know. We appreciate the advice. BTW - the recent owner replaced all the shrouds/forestay, cleats, etc. and then never sailed it much- they appear like new. He walked me through the rigging (conceptually) looking at all the parts but we'll rig it this weekend and see if there is anything missing or not par. Are you in NC too?

CONGRATS ON YOUR NICE LOOKING H16 !!!!Advice ? ..... always carry a portable VHF waterproof radio, a knife, and a bit of power bars and drinks like gator/poweraid type. Install a Mast Bob if you can, and replace ALL the pins in all the stays ASAP.And ASK QUESTIONS, MANY QUESTIONS !!!!!!!!

_________________Every second that passes cannot be recovered, so make good use of every one of them that you have left.

Sweet!I have the same sails on mine--- was told mine was an '81 but who knows. I have to tell ya, i get the " you have the nicest sails on the lake " comment ALOT. beautiful...I've only had my Hobie for one season but love it... i feel like i was born a decade too late ( i'm 38 ). Its hard to find alot of sailors around here in the midsouth Memphis area and i'd love to crew to gain knowledge, guts and balls concerning trapping out and flying a " HULL ". I have a new Tramp, and all new Sheets and halyards - but..... i'd love to buy a Jib furler and a spare Jib-cut to size for solo sailing if i feel over powered. Damon Linkous runs beachcats.com nearby and is a great guy helping all CAT sailors. I'd love to hear from you guys, noobs and seasoned sailors on how to get the most out of sailing a H16, I'm glad to be on board and will gladly help any fellow sailor that I can with parts and help. This site is a huge inspiration. Cheers!Tim

Johnnymoto – thanks for the tips. The old Eagle Scout in me likes these ideas. And the questions are starting to pile up. Back your comment on pins, you are referring to pins on all of the standing rigging?

Yeap !!One of the pins on the Port Stay broke while the Cat was anchored close to us on the beach, and sure thing the Mast fell all the way to the water. I missed to tie the stay to the tramp with a rope ( safety rope ). I found that the other side pin was also about to completely break at the hole were the ring-clip goes. I installed SS bolts ( grade 6 ) with self locking nuts, much stronger than the factory pin because there is no pin hole to debilitate and break.About the food and water; Is hard to realize how much energy is used when sailing a Hobie Cat, because it requires so much concentration that you forget how much work you do to keep her sailing, so eventually ( and soon ) you`ll go hungry and dehidrated. And if you happen to capsize, you will use much more energy and time. I carry a soft shell cooler with all kinds of drinks, food and snacks ( beer and Sangria too, jejeje ) and that makes sailing much nicer and fun !!!!!!

_________________Every second that passes cannot be recovered, so make good use of every one of them that you have left.

I'm not comfortable with some existing patches on the bottom from the previous owner. I'm contemplating a "bottom job" which is covered much on these forums and that Hobie Hotline issue.

We already have the tramp frame off... well sort of... there's just one pylon on one hull that will not budge (tried banging, heat, solvent, animal sacrifice). But we can flip it onto padded horses and proceed with the frame on that one hull.

I may more properly ask this in the repairs forum but what is the best way to remove what appears to be thick Marine Tex over the fiberglass? (<1/8 inch but maybe thicker in areas) Grind it out carefully then detail with a Dremil/by hand?

Also, what's a good way to "practice" with the fiberglass? I expect I could just try it on a board but that does not seem very real world.

The pictures featuring the before and after views of your mast and cross bars are amazing! It prompted me to call Rupp manufact. and ask more about the product. They indicated that the Aluma Guard would leave a slippery residue and therefore not recommended for areas that require traction. (ie cross bars) Do you agree with this assessment? Did you wipe/buff off excess material after it had a chance to saturate the surface of the aluminum?

Hi culpyy - I agree, it probably would be slippery - I did wipe down the frame bar and tiller bar. The tiller bar still has grip and both retain the "new" look. I left the product on for several hours before wiping though I had no idea if it mattered or not.